Night At The Circus
by Frescato
Summary: During a mysterious night at a strange circus, Sarah is given the chance to change her destiny. J/S
1. A Parting Gift

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

**Chapter 1: A Parting Gift**

_"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."  
- William Shakespeare_

The billowing dome was stripped silver and gold, glittering mysteriously in the sunlight. It had been raining the previous day and Sarah's trainers were muddy, the ends of her too-long jeans wet with dew, as she trudged towards the entrance.

Inside various members of the crew were at work. Benches were being shifted, platforms erected, wires strung from pole to pole- the hustle and bustle of a busy atmosphere. Sarah stepped through; dodging various pieces of set sprawled haphazardly across the ground.

Ben was at the back fiddling with the sound system. He looked up and grinned at her approach,

"Sarah, can't get enough?"

Sarah shrugged but smiled, "I came to see Celeste." She looked around curiously.

"It's rather different in the day huh?" Ben said.

Sarah nodded; she'd been to the circus a few times but never during the day. She'd normally sneak backstage about an hour before opening to see Celeste as the performers were painted and costumed. It was disconcerting to see the circus being assembled: it seemed so ordinary, so technical. Sarah loved the magic of the performance, the extraordinary that fooled the watcher into believing they were some place far away from the mundane everyday life they plodded through.

"Sarah?"

She blinked, focusing back on the man in front of her. She'd always had a bit of a crush of Ben. He was cute, laidback and funny. They'd cruised through college together, drifting into different social groups occasionally but always remaining friends. When they graduated, they went their separate ways- Ben off to grad school, Sarah back home to the suburbs for a while before landing an office job in the city- but they'd stayed in touch, always managing dinner or a drink every few months.

"Sorry" Sarah caught his eye, "Wondered off for a moment."

Ben grinned, "You belong in this circus, you should join you know. It's a good place for dreamers."

Sarah laughed, "And give up the day job? I don't think I have anything to offer, I can't juggle let alone tame lions."

"Not all of us walk tightropes you know." Ben gestured to the complex sound system he was fiddling with.

"True, I could do the admin." Sarah said jokingly, "Then annoy you all day long."

"Not for long, I'm out in a month."

Sarah looked at him in surprise, "You're leaving?"

He nodded, "Amy's been offered a job out of State, we're moving."

Sarah forced a grin through her surprise, "That's great Ben, I'm happy for you." She twisted a piece of her long hair around her finger, trying to clamp down on the pang of sadness coursing through her body.

"Yeh, I've got a few interviews lined up. Fingers crossed I'll get something, Amy isn't planning to work for long." He grinned and nodded towards the entrance of the circus, presumably to the tents outside, "Hopefully we'll do what Celeste is, minus the fanfare- literally."

Sarah choked back a response, "Wow, well congratulations."

Ben grinned again, "Yep, time to pack in this circus lark and start real life."

Someone called his name across the stage. Ben flashed her a grin,

"Celeste is in her tent I believe, catch you later Sarah." He walked off towards one of the guys in overalls.

* * *

"Coming in?" Celeste lounged at her mirror.

"Hi." Still lost in thought, Sarah half sat, half slumped onto the elegant flowery chaise opposite.

The tent was spacious, a matching chaise sat opposite the one Sarah had collapsed onto. Celeste's vanity was adjacent, a shiny wooden affair with light bulbs studded around the huge mirror. Around the mirror were pictures, ones depicting people Sarah had never met nor heard Celeste speak of, and newspaper cuttings, mostly reviews of the circus and its' stars. A sheep-style rug covered the plastic floor and the walls of the tent were strung with vibrant swathes of material. Celeste's tent was as magical as she was. And Celeste, she noticed, looked glamorous even at three o'clock in the afternoon, hours before she would have to dress up for the performance. Golden hair was gelled in waves down her back, later to be pinned artfully around her face, her lips were already bright red and she wore a long, yellow-gold dress and matching silk slippers.

If Sarah had believed in fairy tales then Celeste would be the princess.

"Ben is leaving." Sarah commented, the though swirled round her head. It was hard to know what she actually thought of it.

"Ah, yes." Celeste stretched out languorously, like a cat in the sun. Her dress split up the side to display one long, creamy leg, "Moving out of state with that girlfriend of his." She glanced coyly at Sarah, "I do blame myself somewhat, I am the pin-up for pregnancy." She paused and frowned, "Although apparently not the example of the ideal environment to start a family."

Sarah laughed, "Don't take it personally, I don't think many people raise their children in a circus."

Celeste huffed, "More fool them."

Sarah laughed again. Celeste, sitting in a striped tent, dressed like a movie star and heavily pregnant, did seem rather absurd. _No, not absurd, magical_, Sarah corrected her thoughts.

"Are you envious?"

Celeste voice cut across her thoughts.

Sarah frowned, "Envious of what?"

"Of Ben, starting an adult life with his wife, about me birthing a life in this circus?"

Celeste eyes, reflected in the mirror, were green, a strange sort of green mixed with gold. Sarah found herself startled by the intensity there, a direct contrast to light teasing tone in which she spoke.

Sarah shrugged uneasily, unnerved by Celeste's strange question, "I can't be jealous of both, they are rather different paths."

Celeste raised a shapely eyebrow, "But we both have paths, no? Yours seems to have rather stalled."

Sarah caught her breath as she felt a defensiveness rising in her. She felt as though Celeste was making a judgement, something that had never occurred before in their easy friendship. She hesitated, wanting to defend herself but unwilling to create an awkward atmosphere,

"He isn't married." It was the only point of contention she could truly make.

"He will be soon." Celeste turned away from the mirror to face Sarah. There was a smile on her ruby lips, "Don't doubt it."

Sarah didn't. Celeste always seemed to know things, whether they had already taken place or were to come.

She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Are you tired, Sarah?" Celeste voice was soft but probing.

When she opened her eyes, she was caught in Celeste's. She hesitated. Normally, when her friends asked, she easily brushed them off. But Celeste already knew, and besides, she was almost impossible to resist,

"I didn't sleep well last night." Sarah sighed and stretched, bringing up a hand to rub at her forehead.

"Bad dreams?"

Sarah had explained before, as well as she could, which wasn't very well. She didn't always sleep well. She had bad dreams that made her restless through the night. But they vanished whenever she woke, slipping away from her as she desperately tried to remember them. It had started when she was eighteen, when she had gone away to college. The doctor had said it was anxiety, common enough in people her age who were leaving home for the first time. It was most likely temporary. But they persisted, she could go months without them then it would start again: disturbing her sleep and rendering her exhausted during the day. She had stopped going to the doctor after about a year, it seemed pointless when all he could suggest that it was psychological and maybe she needed counselling. Well, that had been a waste of time too. She couldn't remember the contents of the dreams, which was a difficult starting point. Additionally, there was nothing obviously going wrong in her life that could manifest itself into such dreams. So she had given up on that. Instead she just continued on with life. It ran in cycles, and at the moment she was stuck in a period of bad sleep.

"Must have been." Sarah shrugged.

Just then, the door flapped open and a man dressed in a suit strolled in.

"Ah, Sarah," He stopped short on entering, "nice to see you."

"Hi David." Sarah rose quickly. As a couple, she'd noticed before that they seemed caught up in a sort of spell whereby all bystanders were subjected to an amorous display. Not so difficult to explain Celeste's condition.

"Darling." Celeste rose from her mirror chair, all long limbs and pouting lips, "Sarah stopped by to see me."

"No, its fine." Sarah waved a hand dismissively, "I'll be back tonight to watch the show."

It unnerved her somewhat. David, when directing the show, when hiring and firing, shouting and barking orders, was intimidating. But when he was with Celeste, he was a man entranced, beguiled and bewitched.

He was already skimming his hands over waist as she hastily turned to exit.

"Oh, Sarah!"

Sarah turned back and was startled to find Celeste directly in front of her. David was in the exact same position. Looking past Celeste, Sarah could have sworn his arms still reached up to hold his wife's waist.

Celeste moved slightly, blocking Sarah's view and Sarah looked back to her face.

She smiled, "Sarah, I have something for you. Before the show tonight, come an hour early, meet me here."

"Erm, sure." Sarah felt like backing away, all a sudden Celeste's eyes were burning into hers.

Less than a second later the feeling vanished, Celeste's amused face lurked in front of her and Sarah heard David fiddle around at his wife's vanity table.

"I'll see you tonight, then, Sarah."

Sarah blinked, "Yeh, sure."

"Great. Here, feel." Celeste took Sarah's right hand and placed in on her stomach, "She's moving, she'll be coming soon I should think."

Through the luxurious silk, Sarah felt the hard bump and what appeared to be a possible foot ripple the surface, "She'll be beautiful."

It was an impulsive compliment, brought about by the couple's overwhelming presence: Celeste's golden goddess appearance, David's tall, dark and handsome aura.

"You've been a good friend Sarah." Celeste said, "This pregnancy would have been far duller without you."

Sarah wasn't exactly sure what that meant but she nodded, smiled and exited quickly. As the flap closed behind her, she could have sworn she heard a squeal.

Rolling her eyes, she turned left and down pass the other performer's tents. Between the fourth, an acid green affair, and the fifth, a rose-pink heart-shaped tent, down the narrow side, was what she recognised as a trapeze artist and a dancer in a clinch minus their clothes.

"Everyone's doing it other than me apparently." she muttered to herself, abruptly walking past.

* * *

The stage was set.

It was dark when Sarah returned later. The main circus tent stood glittering in the moonlight. A sort of shimmery appearance, dismissed easily by guests as impressive fabric, but curious to repeat visitors. Lanterns were strung across the entrance arch illuminating the pathway to the tent. An assortment of vendors selling hot cocoa, spicy cinnamon sticks and rainbow-coloured cotton candy, lined the pathway.

Flashing her pass at the girl on the entrance, Sarah skipped ahead of the queue for tickets and shuffled her way through the throngs of people gathering snacks for the coming performance. It was chilly, and Sarah was thankful she had worn her winter coat, a scarf and boots. Her dark hair whipped round her face as she battled the wind to reach the main tent before ducking subtly to the left and heading for the performer's tents. She'd spent the afternoon alternatively watching rubbish on the television, making cups of coffee she did not drink and staring out the window of her small apartment. She hadn't made dinner plans, preferring to have instant noodles before heading out at half six for the circus.

The conversations earlier in the day had disturbed her.

First Ben's imminent move. She wasn't completely surprised. After all, he'd been at the circus almost a year and with his girlfriend Amy for three. And she knew, with a depressing certainty, that she wasn't hopelessly in love with him. She had a minor crush, and that was all. That left her sadness at his leaving a sign of some deeper problem. If she'd had trouble working it out, Celeste had spelt it out for her loud and clear. Her live _had _stalled. She had been out of college two years and was working a decent, but slightly dull, office job. She had a small apartment, a few close friends and a manageable income. But she wasn't living her dreams. When she had first started her city job, she'd told herself it was a good opportunity and she had felt pretty motivated. She had given up finding what exactly she wanted to do in life. She had no idea what she wanted. Where she wanted to live. Who she wanted to be. But she hadn't been worried. She was young, she had time and it was normal to be a bit unsure in your twenties.

Then, almost six months ago, Ben had called to let her know the circus he had been working with was coming to the city. Did she want to come? He could get her a free pass. Sarah had been vaguely curious; she'd only been to a circus once, and that was when she was a child. So she'd gone one night and loved it. The performers astounded her with their feats, from tightrope walking, to lion-taming right through to the juggler who made what she had always thought to be a lame skill seem extraordinary. Ben had taken her backstage afterwards to meet some of the crew. Sarah remembered the excitement she'd felt. Up until then it had seemed a long time since anything excited her. Ben had looked amused and told her to come back the following week,

"Celeste is who you really want to see perform Sarah, she was ill tonight."

Ill, it turned out, she was not. Pregnant she was.

So the following week, Sarah had turned up again having spent the entire day at work feeling like a child before Christmas. She'd dressed up nice as well, a dress her mother had bought her for her previous birthday and some dangle earrings. She had sat through the performance right through to the end, enjoying it but wondering where this Celeste was. Then, nearing the final chapter, a golden-haired goddess had descended from the ceiling and landed elegantly, long limbs stretched, on the back of the circus elephant. Like everyone else, Sarah had gasped and stared spellbound. The woman she assumed must be Celeste was draped in olive-coloured silk, her long limbs floating through the air as she landed. Straining to see, Sarah was startled to realise there appeared to be no strings holding her. She'd made a mental note to ask Ben how on earth it was done before she was distracted by the rest of the performance. The elephant, a good natured female known as Moira, had picked up Celeste gently- swinging her from her trunk, spinning her round gently- dancing to the strange music that filled the air. When it was finally over, Celeste turned to her right, spun gracefully- her dress flying out- and vanished to absolute silence. The audience was too stunned to respond. Gradually applause had broken out, people shaking their heads as if you rid themselves of the spell they had been placed under.

And just like that, it had begun. The addiction to the circus. The growing realisation that her life was not what she had once dreamed for herself. The uneasy feeling that something was missing.

It had all begun with the circus.

Now, Sarah arrived at Celeste's tent and stepped through the beaded flap. That was the other disturbance of the day. Celeste's comments about her life had troubled her. She had never before said anything of the sort. Even the times when Sarah had turned up to see her before a show; mostly weary from work but occasionally emotionally strained, having had nights of strange dreams she could never remember. Even then, when Sarah could have accepted critique of her life choices, Celeste had never said anything. And yet she had decided earlier today to compound the shock of Ben's imminent leave with some home truths.

"Ah, Sarah, you came!" Celeste was lounging at her vanity per usual.

"Of course." Sarah's brow furrowed, "You're not getting ready yet, are you not performing?"

Normally, Celeste would dressed by now, her face decorated with swirls of make-up and a rose pinned with her bundled hair.

Celeste pulled a worried face, "Sarah, I cannot perform tonight." She stroked her hands over her bump encased in blue, "The baby is restless, I am sure she will come soon."

"Oh," Sarah looked concernedly first at her friend's face then to her swollen stomach, "Well I'm sure David won't mind."

"No, Sarah, it is an important night." Celeste rose gingerly and came close, "I need you to take my place."

Sarah started visibly, "What, no, Celeste- I'm not a performer." She gave a half-laugh, expecting Celeste to join in. When she did not, Sarah glanced uneasily at her.

"It is easy Sarah." Celeste voice was soft, coaxing "We just need to dress you. Moira will do whatever she is asked."

Sarah shook her head, realising Celeste appeared to be serious. Surely she could could not expect her to take her place? "I'm sorry, I can't! I'm sure David won't mind…" She stared unnerved at Celeste. What on earth was she on about?

"He will mind." Celeste's voice had a strange quality to it that Sarah couldn't read, "He will mind that on such an important night, the main attraction, the performance that binds the magic of show, will be absent."

Sarah was about to protest again - this really was absurd - when the tent door flapped open and David strolled in.

"Celeste." David's voice was abrupt. He barely glanced at Sarah, "What is going on?"

Sarah stared at him, disconcerted by his tone. This was the director David who ran the circus with an iron fist, but he was always soft to his wife. Now, his face was impatient, his eyes narrowed and his mouth tight.

Celeste stared back, an outlandish mixture of disappointment and defiance in his expression, "Darling," her voice was tight, "Sarah will take my place, she has agreed to perform."

Before Sarah could protest, David voice rose sharply,

"Sarah is not a performer Celeste."

"She will do fine," Celeste stood up, tall and commanding, and rubbed her stomach with her right hand, "The baby is soon, I need my rest."

David stared at the bump as if he had never seen it before. He blinked as though startled for a moment, his expression frustrated. A long moment of silence stretched out before David turned away from Celeste, "Fine, Sarah get ready, it's an important night."

Within a second he had strolled angrily out of the tent leaving the doors flapping frantically in the wind.

Sarah stood shell-shocked for a moment before turning her attention back to Celeste, who cut her across quickly,

"Do not ask." The golden-haired woman lowered herself onto the chaise.

Sarah swallowed. She was so many steps behind in this conversation; she had no idea where to begin. Finally she said, "Why is it a special night?"

Without realising, she lowered herself into the chair at the vanity table. She hadn't realised that adrenaline had been pumping hard round her body during the bizarre and almost intimidating confrontation that had just taken place.

Celeste seemed to relax slightly at the question and she smiled one of her cat-got-the-double-cream smiles,

"Because tonight, dear Sarah," she fiddled with her red nails, "Is a blue moon."

Sarah couldn't see how on earth this could be relevant. Besides it was cloudy for goodness's sake, she hadn't seen _any _moon.

She was about to ask what on earth that meant when a tug on her hair startled her, "What the…"

Out of nowhere two women had appeared, one fiddling with the beauty items on the vanity, the other brushing out her hair.

"On the blue moon, the rules of the circus change." Celeste continued on, as though oblivious to Sarah's stunned expression.

"Take your coat off please." One of the woman helped Sarah out of her winter coat, whipping it off before she could protest.

"The boundaries change, the rules of magic can be bent." Celeste said softly, her eyes locking with Sarah's.

"Magic? What, ouch!" Sarah felt her head tipped back and firm hands commanded her eyes shut whilst another set rubbed some sort of product into her hair.

"She can wear this."

Sarah opened her eyes, dazed, a few minutes later to see Celeste standing by the clothing rail with a satisfied expression.

"Celeste," Sarah's fought to keep the panic out her voice, how had things spun so quickly out of control? "I-"

"Will do wonderfully." Celeste crossed the distance between them, having hung an emerald green silk dress prominently at the front of the rail.

"Sarah." Celeste stopped in front of her, "I have a gift for you, as promised."

Sarah frowned, unable to keep up with the turn of the conversation, "I, Celeste! I can't perform-"

Celeste spoke on as though she hadn't heard her, "You have been wonderful during my pregnancy."

She looked distant with a strange smile playing on her lips, "You have befriended me and in doing so befriended the circus. There hasn't been a week where you have not visited at least twice to see the show and at least thrice to see me."

Sarah tried to gather her thoughts, "Well, we're friends." She tried to remember just _how _she had become so close to Celeste, "We just...clicked."

Celeste smiled widely, "Yes, something did click. You had fitted here with me, believe it Sarah- the circus had captured you."

Captured by the circus? What on earth did that mean? Sarah looked, panicked, down at her hands and realised the nails were being painted - a ruby red.

"And so I have a gift for you, on this blue moon." Celeste came closer and her strange eyes locked with Sarah's, the greeny gold transfixing her, "On this night where boundaries can be crossed, I'll grant you a passage."

Sarah tried to shake off the feeling of falling into those eyes, "A passage?" she whispered.

"Yes, a passage." Celeste gestured to one of the women styling Sarah's dark locks, "One chance for you to leave your stalled path." She placed both her hands on her stomach and stroked rhythmically before continuing, "I cannot change your fate directly, I can only give you the opportunity to choose differently."

She stared intently at Sarah, "Mortals like yourself Sarah, dreamers who flock to circuses like this, can only imagine such an opportunity- yet they search unyieldingly for it."

Sarah could only just about form the words on her lips, "Mortals?"

Celeste grinned, "You are much fun but you cannot begin to imagine the reality of your dreams, it if far beyond most mortals' comprehension- even the imaginative ones." Seemingly impervious to Sarah's stunned look, she continued, "And so I'll gift you this one gift, Sarah. Choose as you wish, but you will not see me again. Our path together had come to a close."

Sarah's heart was beating so fast, she could swear she was hallucinating, stuck in some nightmarish dream- or was it? A small part of her mind, the dreamer part, the suppressed corner that held her deepest desires was awake and fighting to emerge.

"What will you do?" Sarah wasn't entirely sure what she was even asking but it fell out of her mouth.

Celeste smiled, "Have my baby, enjoy my circus."

The significance of her words sunk in through Sarah's hazy comprehension, "Your circus?" she whispered.

"What's one day of pain amongst years of pleasure, Sarah?" Celeste rubbed her stomach, "Tomorrow, the blue moon will be over for another three years. The boundaries will re-affix themselves and I shall have him back." The last words resounded, Celeste tone of steel hard enough to withstand a thousand protests.

Sarah swallowed at the insinuation, 'But that's not real-"

"Is it not?" Celeste's eyes danced with humour, "My kind love to play games, Sarah. We will manipulate and twist for our heart's desires. Yet we are immune to it ourselves. It makes our world harsher, Sarah. So I seek pleasure elsewhere, where minds are more…bendable."

Just then a crew member popped his head through the flap, "Ten minutes warning, Sarah."

Sarah stared the space where his head had vanished back through the flap, "What?" she said numbly, "Ten minutes, it hasn't even begun!"

Celeste grinned, "Time is easy to manipulate, Sarah. You must get dressed!"

The sight of crew member, in his standard black t-shirt and wearing a headset had slammed Sarah firmly back in reality.

"What the hell!" Sarah stood up and was stunned to realise there were no women around her, weren't they fussing over her appearance just moments ago?

"What is this?" She whirled on Celeste, who merely smirked,

"Get dressed, Sarah, or you'll be late." Her eyes darkened briefly, "Don't delay or my gift will be void."

"Gift?" Sarah tried to reconcile their conversation of only moments ago with reality and failed.

"Dressed, Sarah." Celeste tilted her head and looked pityingly at her, "Here."

Out of nowhere she was directly in front of Sarah face and blew gently, a stream of gold dust streamed onto Sarah's face and she coughed and blinked frantically.

"Look, Sarah." Celeste gestured to the mirror but before Sarah could turn, she grabbed her arm, twisting her to stand face to face. Celeste eyes flashed, staring right through her,

"It has been a pleasure to have known you."

The next minute, the golden-haired woman was gone and Sarah was left standing, frozen and stunned on the spot.

"What the hell" she said to herself. Was Celeste crazy? Deluded? There was no way…

Sarah caught sight of herself in the vanity and her words trailed off in shock.

Once when Sarah was sixteen, there had been a ball at her school. All her friends had taken it seriously, their days full of discussion; what dress to wear, how to style their hair. Sarah had joined in. Having spent the best part of the previous year wondering alone around her local park in a billowing white dress and reading some childhood novel she had long misplaced, Sarah was eager to join in the ritual of the ball. She wanted to look glamorous and grown-up, a million miles away from her old obsessions and her strange dreams. She had almost rung her mother to ask for advice but in the end she simply took a photo of Linda from an old album and stuck it over her mirror the night she got ready. It was taken long before Sarah had been born, before Linda had even met Sarah's father. She must have been about twenty, slim and beautiful with golden hair spilling in curls over her shoulders. She wore a midnight-blue dress, slashed at one of the sides so that part of her right thigh was exposed before it turned into long, creamy legs ending in stilettos. Sarah tried her best to emulate the look. She had a purple dress. It wasn't particularly daring but the front was ever so slightly low, and wearing her best bra, Sarah was able to reveal some cleavage. She didn't know how to curl her hair, indeed she didn't even own a pair of irons, so instead she ran hairspray through the thick locks before mussing it up. It stuck round her face framing the blushed cheeks and mascaraed eyes. Preening in the mirror, Sarah fancied herself grown-up but later, seeing the stares of her friends, hearing the jealous whispers and growing warm with embarrassment at the smirking boys, Sarah realised her mistake. She was fraudulent.

Now, she stared stunned at her reflection, illuminated in full glory by the over-bright bulbs of Celeste's dressing table. She was dressed in the emerald silk dress. It fell in elegant folds, shorter at the front where it stopped just above her knees revealing her long legs encased in stockings and feet strapped into black stilettos. There were no sleeves; the dress simply a bodice at the top that left her shoulders bare, but her arms wore long, black, fingerless gloves. Dark hair tumbled down, in gentle shining waves. Her nails were red but her lips were uncoloured. Her eyelids shimmered with silver dust and there were strange glittering black lines drawn around her eyes- costume make-up though it looked unnerving like it had been etched into her pale skin. It wasn't her because she would never be able to look as her mother did. Yet, it was a remarkable illusion; the image most definitely of a woman in her prime.

"Celeste?" she whispered, scanning the tent as though the golden-haired woman would just appear, the way she had so suddenly disappeared.

"Sarah? Are you ready?"

Ben was at the door, grinning.

"Ben?"

"It's great you're filling in for Celeste." Ben ushered her out of the tent, "What with her sister visiting town, she rushed off this afternoon." They were nearing the back entrance of the main tent and Sarah's leg's felt like jelly, "Just after you left, in fact!"

"Sister?" Sarah managed, her voice shaking.

Ben looked at her surprised, "Yes, she left just after you did. Took the train out of the city according to David." He frowned briefly, "Whose in a horrendous mood by the way." He pulled a face, "I've never known them two to argue, but they must have done, he's barely mentioned her all evening."

They arrived backstage and Sarah's heart leaped.

"Ben, I don't think I can do this." Sarah stuttered.

Ben looked at her in surprise, "Of course you can, you've been practising for months! You know, when I invited you to see the show back in the spring, I didn't expect you'd get so hooked you'd insist on learning an act!"

Sarah tried to speak but the words were frozen in her throat.

Anna, the art director was in front of her then, "Now, Sarah, Moira's all ready to go, she'll be waiting for your descent."

She looked round and said in a semi-loud but authoritative voice, "Places for the penultimate act please!"

Sarah found herself being propelled along to the steps up the platform set at the level of the curtain where she would float down. Again time seemed to move strange. One moment Sarah was standing with Anna, wondering how to stop this madness and the next she was on the platform, peering over the curtain edge about to float down.

A strange calm had settled on her exterior. Inside, she was panicking, almost crying yet on the outside she was smiling…she was…floating…gently, gradually…downwards. Her arms were raised elegantly. Her dark hair spilled down her back. She couldn't see the audience only the lights which blinded and stunned her.

Time moved slowly, she drifted dreamily down, face placid, insides quaking in terror. Then, all a sudden, she wrenched herself, was able to move her head of her own free will. As she looked down she realised Moira was approaching.

Oh God.

She was going to land.

She closed her eyes, forcing through the uncomfortable urge to keep them open. She tensed her stubborn limbs, ready for impact.

Then, as she knew it would, it happened.

The impact was hard. Her limbs sprayed outwards, shocked at the contact. The self-imposed darkness of her closed eyelid terrified her. She must be surrounded by hundreds of jeering spectators. At the least Moira hadn't thrown her off.

Taking a deep breath, frantically trying to unscramble her thoughts, Sarah opened her eyes.


	2. Return

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

Note: This chapter has been revised. I hope it makes somewhat more sense, thank you to FelineGrace for pointing out it wasn't working.

**Chapter 2: Return**

The first thing she saw was dirt. Her fists were clenched, the knuckles pressed firmly into the ground. Her knees felt bruised and uncomfortable, small stones were digging into them and Sarah knew her stockings were ripped.

Stockings.

The thought ripped through the haziness of her mind and Sarah gingerly raised her head, the curtain of dark hair falling away from her face.

Breathing shallowly, she got to her feet, stumbling in stilettos, the thin heels digging in the dirt.

"Oh God."

She was wearing the emerald dress, her legs exposed from the knee down. No wonder they hurt, they'd taken the full impact of the ground. The stockings were ripped, thin ladders snaking down the feet. The gloves still covered her arms, her fingers peeking out the cut-off tips, shiny ruby red...

"Celeste." Sarah choked back her shock, "Moira."

Where the hell was she? But even as she dragged her eyes away from her body and up to greet her present, _she knew_.

"Celeste." Sarah whispered knowing there would be no response, "What have you done."

The gates were in front of her. Large and imposing, they gleamed a glittering shade of purple, lit dimly by two lanterns hung from the walls either side. The doors themselves were a dark wood that seemed to absorb the night colour. The walls of the labyrinth were taller than she remembered, an impressive height of intimidating stone. Green ivy curled possessively around them, the roots almost black and the tops tinged a strange shimmering silver, almost liquid-like in appearance. It snaked aggressively over the stone as though ready to strangle a runner should they choose to cheat by daring to climb.

Staring, Sarah felt the fear rising. The memory poured through her, even as she fought it, an old adventure of a screaming baby, of a cruel King. Of the twists and turns a frantic young girl had made as she desperately sought the castle that held her baby brother. She had woken up disorientated the next morning, to hear Toby's giggles and to the smell of her stepmother cooking breakfast. She had sat, disbelieving, as Karen served them pancakes, her eyes fixed on her baby brother as he gurgled with delight at his own mashed-up variation of breakfast. Nothing was out of the ordinary, nothing to suggest anything other than a horrid dream. She had been uneasy for days, especially when she realised the lost of both her bracelet and ring ("Honestly, Sarah, its probably in your room", Karen had said before launching into a tirade regarding the state of Sarah's said room). Eventually, she had pulled it together, shaken off the strangeness. She even managed to make a joke of the adventure to her friends ("Hey, think you have weird dreams, well..."). Sarah started to grow up. She stopped fighting with Karen, she managed to both make and keep friends at school. And the older she grew, the more the adventure had truly felt like a strange dream, and eventually, like most dreams, it faded away.

"It was a dream." Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. The night air was cool, soon she would be cold, "It was just a dream."

But the gates stood in front of her. This was no dream. All the thoughts and feelings of a fifteen-year-old girl flooded back to her, overwhelming her senses, forcing their way into the part of her mind she had shut down years before. The bitterness at her stepmother's pregnancy, the frustration at being a constant babysitter, the one night when he had refused to stop crying...and...and...she had said those words. And it had happened. She had _been_ here. She had run. And she had triumphed. And he had...

Sarah cut off the recollection and stared ahead.

She stood at the entrance of the labyrinth.

Attempting to reorder her thoughts into a coherent pattern, Sarah turned and carefully took several steps away from the gates. They'd been on a hill before she remembered. Struggling in the dark as the ground sloped upwards, Sarah headed determinedly forward. If this was the same place, then she should be able to turn around and see...

"The castle." She murmured quietly to herself. The castle beyond the city. From her vantage point she could see the labyrinth, glittering that strange, beautiful shade of purple, stretching out for miles in front of her. And in the distance was the castle. Squinting, she stared intently. It was bigger, even at this distance she could tell it was far more magnificent than she remembered, illuminated and shinning- the reward for a a runner who could make the distance and rescue the stolen babe. Except Sarah was no longer fifteen. There was no babe.

Even stranger, the labyrinth did not stand immobile and silent under the night sky. As she watched, it seemed to shift, the light moving over the walls, casting some parts into darkness and illuminating others. She couldn't exactly _hear_ noise but she somehow knew there was activity within the gleaming walls, something was there...moving.

Inside, Sarah's emotions warred again. Her logic told her such things were impossible. It coursed like a mantra through her head. She was twenty three, this was impossible. She worked in the city in an office by day, this was impossible. She slept in her apartment by night, this was impossible. At weekends she had coffee with her friends, this was impossible. In the evenings she visited the circus, this was...

The circus. Ben. Celeste. Sarah's mind froze. They were real, they were part of her life. The circus was part of her life...and the circus had led to this. Celeste existed, she had talked to her only earlier, pressed her hand against her stomach to feel the baby. Celeste was as real as her job, her apartment, her _life_. And Celeste had sent her here. To the labyrinth.

This was _real_. She was back.

"Get a grip, Sarah." She said is quietly first, then repeated it louder, staring at the castle in the distance.

"This is real, so get a grip."

The thought floated frighteningly through her mind: She had to run again.

Sarah recognised the feeling that rose within herself. The first visit to the circus had be magical, for sure, but Sarah was able to enjoy the performance whilst realising the juggler was probably somehow using less balls than it appeared, that the lion tamer had probably reared the beast from birth and the there as probably some thin safety net waiting to catch the trapeze artists should they fall. The second visit to the circus, the first time she had witnessed Celeste's performance, every fiber of her being screamed impossible at the act. It was a trick, a cleverly devised trick to bewilder and beguile. But as she watched her float, as she danced around, and almost with, the elephant, the feeling of belief had risen within her even as the logical part of her mind protested. It was somehow possible, it was somehow true. It could not be, and yet it was. And then, strangely and unnervingly, the logical part of her mind began to shift, accommodating this new reality. After that night, she could revisit the circus scores of times and yet her mind would not war over the seemingly impossible, it accepted and expected the strange performance as truth. There was no doubt the circus was something extreme but it did not concern Sarah, she sought it out as the only true source of magical in her life.

And now, she felt the same acceptance settling over her. She could shake her head, flinging out the dark waves, and protest that this could not be real. She could lie down on the hard ground and wait to feel the soft depression of her mattress. But she did neither. Her mind was shifting, revising its beliefs, allowing room for this occurrence. With steely resolve, her practicality kicked in. Crouching down, she fumbled with the delicate straps of her heels and kicked off the shoes. Regretfully she noted they were beautiful; black velvet and satin. The sort of shoes she didn't have even amongst the best things in her wardrobe. She then pulled off the ruined stockings and shivered as the night air swept over her bare legs. Balling them up, she stuffed them in her left glove, against her skin. She wasn't sure why but maybe she would need them later. She couldn't take the shoes though, surely stilettos would be of no use in a labyrinth?

Gingerly she made her way down the hill, wincing slightly as the odd pebble dug into her feet. Here, where she was outside the labyrinth, it was dark. She could barely see the ground. Approaching the door, she stopped and stared, once more startled by its appearance. The strange purple sheen seemed to trace patterns over the dark wood.

She hesitated momentarily. What was she walking into? Childlike fear disguised adult insecurity. She could pretend she was afraid of the night, of running the vast maze in the dark but truly she was afraid of what the dark would reveal...what lay waiting for her in the tangled compass of her dreams? Tensing her jaw, Sarah breathed deeply and felt her resolve strengthen. Maybe Celeste was right, maybe she had stalled in life. Maybe she was already lost. And if that was the case, then surely there was nothing to fear in confronting her dreams.

"And if I'm going to be lost, I'll be lost in a place of my own choosing." Sarah whispered the words she'd once heard her mother shout at her father before firmly placing both her palms against the line where the two halves of the door met and, wondering if she would even have enough force to move what was surely a heavy door, pushed.

* * *

As the doors moved smoothly back, Sarah knew her instincts had been correct; the labyrinth was alive with sounds. A low murmured of noise seem to carry over the walls, too quiet to know what it was but loud enough to be sure she was not imagining it. As the doors closed behind her she found herself standing in the same stone corridor she had eight years before but, unlike her fifteen year old self, she didn't immediately take off left or right but stood unmoving as she tried to harness her thoughts. The corridor was narrower than she remembered, intimidatingly so. The walls gleamed that strange purple, hauntingly beautiful, and the ivy that covered them turned from dark green at the bottoms of the walls to bright silver as it slithered up towards the tops. Placing her right palm up against the stone directly in front of her, it felt solid and strong and yet the stone seemed to glitter, the purple hue shifting slowly across the surface.

"Beautiful." For some reason, her eyes filled with tears and she blinked, startled by the strange emotion.

"Now don't be shedding tears over the walls, Miss."

The voice came from her left, along the corridor and Sarah turned, mouth falling open. The voice was familiar.

Quickly she took a few strides in the direction she'd taken all those years before before stopping and instinctively scanning the wall on her left.

When her eyes fixed on the tiny worm, her heart leapt and mouth remained open, too stunned to say anything.

"Ah, Miss, no need to be shy." The small worm beamed up at her from a crack in the stone, "We've met before."

Sarah laughed shakily, "You remember me?"

"Of course Miss!" The worm winked, "Not every young Miss I invite in to meet the family."

"Oh, of course." Sarah stared at the small worm, her heart thumping. If he was real, then all the others she had met...she knew this already of course, deep down. But her mind would only work step-by-step, shifting more each time to accommodate the buried truth.

"Now, are you off to the castle Miss?" The worm brought her back to the present.

"Um, yes." Sarah swallowed hard, yes the castle...the worm...

"Then you'll be wanting that door again, won't you now Miss?" the worm indicated by a small dip of his head to behind Sarah.

With the unnerving knowledge of retracing her steps, Sarah turned and pushed lightly, and the wall shifted to reveal an opening just as it had done before.

"Now before you go in, you should know it'll be different tonight Miss."

Sarah turned back to the worm, "How so?"

The worm gave a sort of wiggle that was perhaps intended to be a shrug, "The labyrinth is bewitched tonight Miss, all sorts of strange people I've seen tonight I have. And the castle and the labyrinth are entwined tonight."

"Entwined?" Sarah asked, turning back towards the opening, "What do you mean entwined?"

"I'm only a worm Miss, tis only what the Missus said." He seemed to puff up slightly, "We've got two boys now Miss, and my Missus said our elder one noticed the change earlier this evening."

"Oh I see, well thank you...again." Sarah said and bidding goodbye, she stepped through the opening.

The worm watched her go thoughtfully.

"Who was that, Gnirmous?"

Gnirmous turned to his Missus, "Just a young Miss going to the ball."

His Missus grimaced, "Why anyone would go to that castle I don't know...especially on a night like tonight."

She turned and wiggled back into the crack, "Tea's ready dear."

* * *

Stepping through the opening, Sarah found herself in another passage, just like before. She was relieved to find that the silver shimmer of light she'd seen from the hill was apparently following her and that she was not running the labyrinth in the pitch black. It was still dark but not unbearably so, she would be able to see her way. Turning right, as she had done so previously, she found herself in the same jigsaw area. Only the beige stone walls were now a gleaming purple hue and she froze at the sight before her.

"What the..." Sarah stared at the path ahead of her.

She could go left or right, or indeed through any of the jigsaw passages around her, but directly ahead of her, the way she had chosen previously, was a shimmering purple mist. Almost translucent, it formed a hazy wall that revealed the passage behind it, and beyond that, the illuminated castle.

Sarah approached it carefully, it seemed to sparkle the closer she got. Hesitantly she put out a hand and slowly made contact. The fingers of her right hand slide through the mist. Pulling back, she wrestled internally for a few seconds.

A bit of mist could not hurt her surely?

There was a time when she was afraid of nothing magical. Her fifteen year old self had been determined, stubborn and arrogant to the point at which she had branded the challenge the labyrinth presented as 'a piece of cake'.

But Sarah had grown up. A strange adventure at fifteen faded way in manner of most dreams. She started going out with her friends, shopping and drinking coffee. She strayed further and further from the strange child she had been. The magical had no longer seemed important compared to college and parties, alcohol and adulthood. But, maybe the disinterest had hidden a deeper fear. Maybe her adventure had subconsciously turned her away from fantasy and firmly into reality, into adulthood.

Sarah Williams worked in an office. It wasn't quite as bad as it sounded. She was in the administration department of a publishing company, it was an okay job with good prospects. After work, she drank wine and moaned to friends about her love life. But that too, wasn't so bad. She had a few good friends, genuine and caring. And while it was true she hadn't had a boyfriend in a while, she had some good dates and was capable of forming successful relationships. She spent Christmas discussing apartment prices with her dad and helping her stepmother roast the turkey whilst Toby and Anna hung off her every word, begging for attention from their older sibling.

All in all, she didn't have any true complaints other than boredom – and who didn't encounter that at some point during their twenties when struggling to establish themselves as adults?

The only true absence in her life was the magical. Sarah had changed so much, she no longer had room or inclination to indulge in the dreamer side of herself. When she was younger, she used to sketch princesses on adventures, write mini novellas about treks across far-away lands, dress in costume to rehearse an old play in her local park. It had all been lost to adulthood, and not unhappily. Just normality. The process of maturing. She had been content with her lot.

Then six months ago, some magic had come back in her life. The circus and the nights spent visiting Celeste had jolted her life into colour whilst creating a contrast of grey during the day. She knew that it was strange she went so often. Her stepmother had expressed surprise at learning Sarah had been to see the same show twice, let alone thrice a _week_. So she had kept it to herself, her only quirk. But now as she thought about it, perhaps it had been her only true indulgence- a slash of magic in her ordinary life. And it had left her wanting more, questioning her life in a way she never had before, highlighting the differences between the dreams of her childhood and the reality of her adulthood.

Perhaps it was supposed to bring her back to herself.

And If she was to have one final chance at being a dreamer, then she had to do it properly.

Wrapping her arms around herself, in a subconscious attempt to shield her bare upper arms, she closed her eyes and walked straight through the mist.

Almost immediately she was overcome with vertigo. Dizzy, she stumbled forward, desperate to get out of the mist. Squeezing her eyes to remain shut, she released her arms to put her hands out, afraid of falling. And indeed she did. Once again on her knees, her knuckles pressed against the ground...except this time it was not dirt. Opening her eyes, she saw stone beneath her. Raising her head, her breath was knocked out her and she sat back on her bent legs.

Before her was the entrance to the castle. Shining and splendid, it gleamed silver, the vast doors open and...

Sarah felt her heart-rate increase as she fought panic. Glancing around she realised she was in a well-lit courtyard and twisting her head she saw the gates leading to the Goblin City behind her. Struggling to her feet, she almost tripped on the long skirt of the back of her dress.

The people around her were terrifying.

They sprawled languorously around the courtyard, some standing in groups, others alone. Some were making their way towards the steps leading to the castle doors. They wore opulent dress and extravagant masks. Some were almost costume-like, almost like the...Sarah cut the thought off, unwilling to travel down that particular memory where jeering masked figures had blocked her as she frantically tried to escape, to find...

As she stood, glancing with quick, panicky bursts at the people, she saw that almost none were paying attention to her. Realising she was directly in the path of the white steps, she ducked to the side and watched as a couple leisurely ascended the marble. The woman wore red satin that trailed out behind her. Her face was obscured by a elaborate mask but Sarah could see her lips moving against the ear of the man whose arm she clung to. He, in turn, was smirking, his right hand digging into the dress, just below the woman's breasts. Sarah stared mesmerized as they reached the final step and, after crossing the short distance to the open silver doors, vanished inside.

Her adrenaline pumping furiously round her body, she frantically tried to formulate a plan. Where should she go? Should she run? But she was trying to get into the castle surely? As her mind scrambled to collect her thoughts, Sarah jumped out of her skin when a group passed so close to her, that a slick of velvet brushed her bare right shoulder.

Her mouth open in shock, she couldn't move as the group began to ascend the steps. They had been laughing but the noise dimmed as the woman whose dress had touched Sarah paused on the first step and glanced back. Their eyes locked and Sarah felt frozen in panic. Vivid violet irises bored into her, sharp and unforgiving, and for a few seconds she could not breathe. They were not human eyes; they bore straight through her.

"...ah." It was almost a hiss, the noise that slithered out of the pale, frosted lips. Sarah felt a shot of fear run through her, coursing its way down her body, numbing her further. Trapped in the gaze, she stood frozen. Sarah could imagine that's how statues were made. People trapped in glances of steel, never to be released.

But after a pause, the violet eyes released Sarah. The lips closed, flashes of white teeth vanished and she watched as the woman's face turned away and she turned, rejoining the group ascending the marble.

The grip Sarah's left hand held on the stone bannister was painful. She released her fingers, sore and stiff and stared after the group that had passed. Were they monsters with angel's faces? The woman had looked at her, inhumanely, predatory. Just like the time...

Remembering her previous experience was frightening. Yet it was impossible to keep the images out of her head. She had been looking for Toby, dressed in her blue jeans, her adventurer's shirt. She had been determined and forceful, sure she would beat the maze. Then she was in the most beautiful gown, the princess gown of her dreams. There were jewels in her hair and around her neck. She was surrounded by masked people, strangers who at first had seemed calm but on breaking off her dance had become threatening. Their faces were covered with masks but their eyes had bored into her as they had crowded and jostled her.

"Jareth." Sarah whispered it softly. She had no wish to say it louder, to attract attention. She had no wish to confront the memories yet.

How could this all be real?

How could she have lived eight more year of her life, only to be dragged back to her past. She truly had forgotten. A strange episode at fifteen that she had convinced herself it was a dream, and slowly but surely it had faded away. The memory of all that had happened had faded away.

But maybe it was always there.

Sarah Williams had strange dreams.

She slept badly some nights, waking and slumbering constantly through endless nights of restlessness. She could never remember what she dreamed of, it eluded her on waking. But still her dreams were disturbed.

Did Celeste send her here for him, for a man she barely knew...a man who bated a fifteen year old girl...who stole her brother...who...who featured in strange dreams she never remembered? They lingered on the edge of her mind but she could not reach them. Even now, confronted with the reality of her past adventure and with the memories flooding back, she still could not remember the dreams. She knew only that she had them, that they haunted her...that some nights she would turn up to the circus seeking to delay sleep longer. And Celeste would never ask questions, simply smile and thank her for coming and did she wish to feel the baby kick?

Did she dream of him?

Staring at the entrance, she pulled her courage together. The marble was cold and smooth against her bare feet, the back of her dress rustled as it swept the steps on her ascent. There were people at the sides of the steps, leaning against the gleaming banisters. Dressed in finery, holding glasses of red liquid and laughing, only a few glanced at her as she made her way towards the final step. Reaching the flat marble floor, Sarah did not stop to think. She could not, or she would turn and run, far away from this shining palace which quite possibly contained the summary of her sleepless nights, of her stalled life. Approaching the door, she realised it was supervised by two women, dressed identically in plain silver dresses. Both smiled politely as she reach them but the one on the right had amusement in her eyes. They scanned Sarah from head to toe, resting on her bare feet. Sarah felt a flush, she was dressed for a ball no doubt but invited guests did not turn up barefoot. Nevertheless she lifted her chin, tried desperately to quell the trembling of her lips and walked through the open doors.

The last thing she saw, before she was torn from the vision, was a grand entrance hall and splendidly dressed guests heading towards a room hung with purple chandeliers.

* * *

The very next second she landed heavily on her feet and dirt bit into them once more. Glancing around she realised she was back in the labyrinth. It was darker once more, the night wrapping around her. She was thankful to see the silver light gently illuminating the area around her, whatever area that was. Frowning and confused, she spun round to see the wall of purple mist was now _behind_ her. She had passed through it.

_Well...Great_, she thought.

"Back where I started." She muttered and almost immediately felt a strangeness at her own frustration. She wasn't fifteen any more, she knew now that there were no short cuts in life.

It was surprisingly easy to remember her way, even eight years later. It looked different of course, the purple stone walls unnerved her. They had an ethereal quality, the shimmering stone was just so magical. Where before the walls had been a dusty prison, now they seemed to form a mystical passage to another world...another life. Walking slowing in what she thought was the path of eight years ago, Sarah struggled to keep her thoughts away from the dangerous path they were straying down. Why was she here? What would find when she made it through the labyrinth...what was the _point_ of all this? Her dreams lingered once more on the edge of her mind but she could not bring them into her present. They were faint and frail and she could not access them even with her wilful desperation to do so. Had the labyrinth haunted her all these years? Had it disturbed her sleep and, in turn, her life? But even with the night of bad dreams, she had been doing fine, enjoying life...until the circus. Until Celeste.

She couldn't think of _him_...not yet...not until she had made it further into the labyrinth...until she would near the time of facing him once more.

Turning around she was pleased to see the path behind her had become a dead-end, which meant...

The two doors stood in front of her. One to the castle at the centre of the labyrinth and the other...to certain death. Except now, she was certain that was an exaggeration on the part of those strange creatures. Had he really allowed runners to die in a dusty cave? Surely he had always sent someone to help...

Walking towards them, she started. They were...stone? Reaching out, she touched the top head of the one guarding the right door, the door she had chosen before. Yes, definitely stone.

"Curious." She whispered, "I guess I'm on my own this time." A thought occurred to her then.

Logic told her that she would end up once more in the oubliette...certain death only if she could not escape. So she should surely choose the other door...except...

Steeling her thoughts, Sarah reached forward and pushed the right door. Less than second later she fell through the floor. This time there were no helping hands and, as expected, she landed firmly on the hard, dusty floor of the oubliette. Choking on the dusty, dry air, she sat still for a few moments, checking her limbs for new bruises. Surprisingly she felt fine...clearly she was getting used to hard landings this time around. Looking around she strained her eyes to see the same cobweb-strewn cave of before. The dusty walls were beige as before, a reassuring sight. The purple gleam seem not to effect the oubliettes then. She stretched out legs, carefully spreading the skirts of her dress around her and waited.

After a few minutes, Sarah knew he wasn't coming. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised...but for some reason she was. Why wasn't he coming?

Perhaps things were truly different this time around. With no warning, a memory blinkered through her mind. It was of him, helping her out once more...except something was different. But the memory was gone as quickly as it arrived, flashing through her mind and out again. Trying desperately to grasp hold of it once more, Sarah had a revelation.

It was a dream!

Not a memory, but a dream. She had dreamed of the labyrinth, she was sure of that now, but she could never remember those dreams, only the after effect; the long days at work feeling lethargic and emotionally strained. Now she had a fleeting glimpse of one...and Hoggle, the dwarf who had helped her through the labyrinth before, had been in it. Helping her, though the context of the situation eluded her. She balled her fists in frustration. How was it she could remember her adventure, recover the memory she had forgotten yet not remember the dreams that surely centred on it? Now she knew the truth of her first time here, face to face with the reality, unable to deny it, surely she should know her dreams?

Frustrated, Sarah pushed the thoughts aside. She needed to escape. Standing up, she retraced his previous steps, fumbling on the dark floor to pull the piece of rectangular wood from the floor and pushing it into the wall of the cave. She fiddled with the handle, not really sure what she was doing, turning it this way and that until she heard a click. Remembering the cupboard, she surprised her self by letting out a small giggle, turning the knob once more until it clicked for a second time. Then she pulled open the door, squinting as silver light poured through, and ducked into out of the cave. Finding herself, as expected, in a passage of rocks, she walked quietly through them. They appeared to be sleeping, the faces etched in the rock had their eyes shut. Passing by them, she headed to the small passage where the cleaners had chased them. She knew, instinctively, _he_ would not be there. It was, somehow, too soon for that. You did not meet the main character until the story was established. It wasn't lost on Sarah that she was framing her narrative, spinning her presence here into a story. It was a bizarre thing to do, but then the situation was bizarre. A situation which she could not yet understand, the purpose of the story unrealised and unwritten, and whilst it remained so, _he_ could not feature. And so, her mind spinning with its interpretation of the situation so far, she turned into the passage confidently and then stopped.

Someone _was_ waiting for her.

She stepped forward slowly, "Hoggle?"

The short, stout figure raised his head, his large, bulbous eyes alighting on her. He was dressed as before. In fact, glancing carefully at him, Sarah spotted her plastic bracelet from all those years ago. She felt her heart leap into her throat,

"Hoggle?" She repeated hesitantly, "Its me, Hoggle, Sarah."

Hoggle stared at her, "Sarah?" he said gruffly, "Sarah." His voice was confused and he frowned at her, not seemingly aware of who she was.

Sarah shifted awkwardly, she supposed she did look different. Plastering a smile on her face, she approached him, "Hoggle, its me. I gave you that bracelet, remember? You helped me run the labyrinth against...run the labyrinth."

Hoggle glanced down at his wrist and she saw his eyes clear, "Sarah!"

Sarah grinned, genuine happiness coursing through her, "Yes its me Hoggle," she gestured to herself, "I'm a bit grown up now."

"So I see." Hoggle voice returned to its customary gruffness, "And you's...returned...I see."

Sarah nodded, anxiously scanning him, "I have to make it to the castle again..."

She saw him flinch at her words, "But I don't expect you to help me this time, Hoggle." She smiled, and felt a faint sadness tug at her, "I'm old enough to brave it alone this time, I think."

Hoggle tilted his head, "Is that so?"

Sarah noticed he had relaxed somewhat at her words.

"Well then, I suppose I'd best escort ya to whence we left off last time then."

"You don't have to Hoggle." Sarah said gently, "I am just glad to see you."

Hoggle looked touched for a moment before visibly puffing himself up, "Well don't go thinking you's too good for my help. I'll show you's to where we escaped last."

"That would be wonderful Hoggle." Sarah smiled and she reached out a hand to take him.

Hoggle gruffly pushed hers away, but not before she saw a hint of a smile on his face, "This ways."

They walked along the deserted corridor where the cleaners had chased them. It was lit dimly by the silver light, and Sarah wondered uneasily whether it was some trick, stalking her movements.

After several minutes of silence, wherein Sarah pondered what to say to the dwarf, Hoggle spoke,

"You's gotten very grown up, Sarah."

"Thank you, Hoggle." Sarah tugged at the bodice, realising just how different she must look, "I guess I grew up."

Hoggle gave her a strange look, she could not interpret.

"Hoggle, do you know why the labyrinth is different tonight?" She plunged in, hoping he could answer her.

Hoggle gave her a sideways glance, "Well there's a blue moon tonight, Sarah. They's always having a strange effect on the labyrinth."

Sarah was about to ask him why the labyrinth was flooded in purple, why there appeared to be a ball going on, when she realised they had reached the ladder.

This time Sarah went first, climbing the long steps to pushed the lid that opened the giant vase. Climbing out and down, careful not to rip the skirt of her dress, her feet met brick. They found themselves in the same hedged area as before. This time though, the green hedges were dark in the night, almost black but with shimmering silver glittering throughout them. The intersecting stone walls maintained their strange purple appearance. Sarah stared around, this was the moment she had realised for the first time as a fifteen-year-old adolescence that life was unfair and that was just the way it was. Turning to Hoggle, she took a deep breath,

"Thank you, Hoggle, for being there when I needed you."

Hoggle blinked and then nodded. He turned to leave but then turned abruptly back. His words forced, as though he had to say them, "You's sure you's don't need me to help you further through?"

Sarah blinked back sudden tears. She had no idea what was going on, maybe adulthood had changed her ability to relate to the small dwarf but she felt touched at the sign of his loyalty, "No, Hoggle, I'll be fine."

He nodded stiffly then turned and headed in the direction away from the castle.

Sarah stood and watched him go quelling the rising urge to shout after him, to call him back and plead for his company. But she couldn't do that. She wasn't fifteen, this was no game. She ran only for herself and to find her own answers. She had to do it alone.

When he had vanished from view into the dark, she took a deep breath and turned back towards the castle. Walking slightly further away from the vase, she saw the chair from before. It stood as it had done then except this time there was no occupied. The wise old man and his hat had gone. Approaching it, she saw the stone seat, she saw there was a layer of purple mist gently surrounding it.

Another portal.

Sarah reached the chair and hesitated. If she was right, sitting here would transport her back to castle again, albeit temporarily. She was sure these short cuts could not replace running the labyrinth...but perhaps they could allow her to experience the castle slowly, building her up until she would finally reach it herself...would finally see...

Making her decision she went to sit down but stopped short, her eyes alighting on something on the right armrest. A small ring sat there. Sarah's heart pounded as she reached out...was that...hers? Leaning forward to examine it, Sarah saw that is appeared to be welded to the stone. Determinedly she grasped it and was surprised when it easily came loose in her fingers. It was definitely hers. Costume jewellery she had regularly spent her allowance on back when she was fifteen. This particular ring had been her favourite, the few friends she had at school envying the tacky piece. Sarah had loved it because it reminded her of the rings princesses wore in fairytales. Slipping it onto the same finger she'd worn it on all those years ago, Sarah simultaneously sat down on the stone chair and closed her eyes as the mist descended on her, swirling around her. The rush of air knocked her back and she struggled to keep her arms glued down to the rests before she felt the seat vanish completely beneath her and the dizziness overcome her senses.

She landed in the entrance hall.

This time she opened her eyes immediately, prepared to quickly shove herself into the closest corner to distract from attention. The hall was magnificent. Huge pillars of white marble lined the three walls. To the right was a huge staircase, lined in white velvet, to the left were several closed doors. Straight ahead, a massive set of doors were thrown open and Sarah could see it was a ballroom. Moving discreetly to the left hand side of the hall, Sarah leaned next to a closed door and swept her eyes around the room once more. Guests were milling around, dressed fancily, holding drinks and immersed in conversation. Most were moving towards the ball room. The huge doors meant she could see through to glimpse a clear view of a stunning scene. Chandeliers tinged purple hung from the ceiling, velvet drapes criss-crossed the length of the room.

Inching closer to the doors, Sarah strained to see throngs of guests standing in the crowd, or seated in groups. The centre of the room appeared to be a dance floor though nobody danced. The noise level was distracting, a jumble of conversation but the laughter frightened her, there was a threatening tone to it...a sign these were not people like her...not people she could blend in with. They would surround her, jostle her, pull at her dress and step on her bare feet...mark her as an outsider, make her as vulnerable as a fifteen-year-old girl. Besides, Sarah knew instinctively that if she tried to cross into the room she she would end up back in the labyrinth. It seemed she could only experience one setting at a time. But she was not done yet, she wasn't ready to leave yet.

Gently, she pushed the ring round on her finger. Where could she go?

Forming a plan quickly, she gathered her courage and pushed away from the wall. Crossing over the hall she avoided eye contact, thankful for her bare feet allowing her a silent walk over to the staircase. Stopping a few metres from it, she glanced up and realised there were people standing there. They trailed in no particular order up to the top where, from the sounds floating down, more people gathered. Trembling, Sarah placed on foot onto the velvet step, relishing the smooth feel against her abused sole. After a few moments, she realised she had not been thrown back into the labyrinth and took another step. She slowly climbed the staircase. She looked neither right or left knowing there were people at both, but proceeded to carefully ascend. Her lips were trembling, her heart pounded. She could hear whispers around her, the conversation had stilled...or was that just her imagination? Raising her eyes from their fixed point on the steps, she looked around. A few curious glances, a few smirks...but the silence was of her own imagination.

Feeling more confident, though her heart still thumped dangerously, she stared forward and continued climbing. She was nearing the top, she could hear voices set slightly back from the final step. When she was five or so steps from the edge she saw them - a cluster of people. About three women stood near the top step, dressed in shades of gold and silver, their masks held by their sides instead of covering their faces. Sarah stopped, transfixed. Their faces were beautiful, though not shockingly so...it was more a sort of ethereal appearance...an inhuman sharpness in their eyes, a languid movement to their bodies, as if they had all the time in the world. Staring at them, Sarah advanced one more step, realising none of them had noticed her. Scanning them, Sarah couldn't drag her eyes away, she felt as though she was slipping into bewitchment, compelled to stare until they might notice.

Sarah stood in the middle of the wide velvet step, on full view yet seemingly invisible, staring, waiting for something. Courage to take the last few steps? Or attention from these strange people, acknowledgement that she a real and solid presence in their exotic ball. Just when she had decided it was time to leave, a face turned towards her. She was looking at Sarah as though she was an interesting animal in a zoo...no...in a circus. Silver hair hung straight past her face, almost blending with the material of her dress. Her eyes were also silver and her lips, twisted into a predatory smile were frosted violet. The silver liquid of her eyes bored into Sarah's, pinning her in place.

Sarah felt her limbs tense, as the women all seemed to laugh, flashes of white teeth jeering at her. She felt fifteen again, surrounded by strange beings who were there to alienate her. Daring to look beyond the women, Sarah saw space, an escape. Unable to speak, she knew her lips were parted slightly, as she struggled to draw breath. These women were staring at her, tearing through her with their cruel eyes, like the entertainment in a striped tent.

There was only one thing she could do.

Slowly, she stepped forward, she was now two steps from the top...from them. She was aware of murmuring, of conversation renewing, but she had no idea whether it was regarding her or whether she had lost her amusement. Staring straight ahead but not seeing anything other than a blur of people, she took another step.

She was one step from the landing, one step to freedom but she was frozen in place. She'd made the mistake of refocusing her vision.

A glimpse of a face. Fair, light hair and mismatched eyes. Her breath was stolen from her.

She dumbly wondered whether he had been there all along, watching her initial entrance from the height of the steps and then her trembling ascent up the velvet staircase. His face was impassive as he stared at her, his head tilted ever so slightly, as his eyes moved from her face down to her bare feet. They lingered there for some moments and Sarah wished for the strength to turn and run.

But her whole body felt stuck, she could neither move nor speak as his eyes left her feet to travel back up her body, to meet her own trapped gaze. Fear coursed through her body with adrenaline so strong she was afraid she would be sick.

One more step.

But just as she forced her bare right foot up, her eyes came unstuck and moved down to his lips.

A jolt went through her and as her right foot touched the landing, she was unable to ascertain whether it originated from him or the force that tore her from the scene.


End file.
